Dahlia plant named ‘Bkdapbg’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Dahlia  plant named ‘Bkdapbg’, characterized by its compact, upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit; dense and bushy growth habit; early and continuous flowering habit; semi-double inflorescences with dark red purple-colored ray florets; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Dahlia hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘BKDAPBG’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Dahlia plant, botanically known as Dahlia hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Bkdapbg’.

The new Dahlia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Maasdijk, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new container Dahlia plants that have a freely branching habit, attractive ray floret coloration, long flowering period and good garden performance.

The new Dahlia plant originated from an open-pollination in June, 2006 in Maasdijk, The Netherlands of a proprietary selection of Dahlia hybrida identified as code number 2006-0001, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Dahlia hybrida as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Dahlia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Maasdijk, The Netherlands in July, 2007.

Asexual reproduction of the new Dahlia plant by cuttings in a controlled environment in Maasdijk, The Netherlands since November, 2007 has shown that the unique features of this new Dahlia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Dahlia have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Bkdapbg’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Bkdapbg’ as a new and distinct Dahlia plant:

-   -   1. Compact, upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and mounding         plant habit.     -   2. Dense and bushy growth habit.     -   3. Early and continuous flowering habit.     -   4. Semi-double inflorescences with dark red purple-colored ray         florets.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Compared to plants of the female parent selection, plants of the new Dahlia differ primarily in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Dahlia are more compact than plants of the         female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Dahlia and the female parent selection         differ in ray floret color as plants of the female parent         selection have pink-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Dahlia can be compared to plants of Dahlia ‘Dahlstar Red’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Maasdijk, The Netherlands, plants of the new Dahlia differed from plants of ‘Dahlstar Red’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Dahlia and ‘Dahlstar Red’ differed in leaf         color as plants of ‘Dahlstar Red’ had lighter green-colored         leaves.     -   2. Plants of the new Dahlia and ‘Dahlstar Red’ differed in ray         floret color as plants of ‘Dahlstar Red’ had red-colored ray         florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Dahlia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Dahlia plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bkdapbg’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bkdapbg’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and the following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the winter in 12-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Maasdijk, The Netherlands and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial container Dahlia production. During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures ranged from 17° C. to 19° C. Plants were pinched one time and were three months old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Dahlia hybrida ‘Bkdapbg’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Dahlia             hybrida identified as code number 2006-0001, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Dahlia             hybrida, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 16 days at             temperatures of about 18° C. to 21° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 19 days at             temperatures of about 18° C. to 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 21 days             at temperatures of about 18° C. to 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 23 days             at temperatures of about 18° C. to 21° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous, white in             color; tuber development has not been observed.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderate branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Compact, upright, somewhat             outwardly spreading and mounding plant form; broad inverted             triangle; three primary lateral branches develop, each             primary lateral branch with numerous secondary branches;             inflorescences held above the foliar plane on strong             peduncles; bushy and dense growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 14.7 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 14.5 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 7.4 cm. Diameter: About             4 mm. Internode length: About 9 mm. Aspect: About 30° from             vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: Close to 146A to 146B. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Leaves opposite; leaves may be single or             compound with three leaflets.         -   Leaf length.—About 7.1 cm.         -   Leaf width.—About 8.4 cm.         -   Leaflet length.—About 5 cm.         -   Leaflet width.—About 3.1 cm.         -   Leaflet shape.—Broadly ovate to broadly elliptic.         -   Leaflet apex.—Acuminate.         -   Leaflet base.—Attenuate.         -   Leaflet margin.—Dentate to coarsely dentate.         -   Leaflet venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Leaflet texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Leaflet color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to             N137A to N137B. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to             191A to 191B. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to             N137A and 147A; venation, close to 146B. Fully expanded             leaves, lower surface: Close to 191B; venation, close to             146B.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 1.9 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper surface: Close to 146A. Color, lower surface: Close to             146B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance and arrangement.—Semi-double inflorescence form             with ray and disc florets forming acropetally on a             receptacle; inflorescences positioned above the foliar plane             on strong peduncles; inflorescences face upright to slightly             outwardly; freely flowering habit, about nine inflorescences             per plant.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Time to flower.—Early flowering habit, plants begin             flowering about 54 days after planting; plants flower             continuously during the late summer in The Netherlands.         -   Post-production longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good             substance for about two to three weeks on the plant;             inflorescences not persistent.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 7 mm.             Shape: Globular, flattened. Color: Close to 144B.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 4.4 cm. Depth (height):             About 3 cm. Disc diameter: About 7 mm. Receptacle height:             About 2 mm. Receptacle diameter: About 6 mm. Receptacle             color: Close to 144B to 144C.         -   Ray florets.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 80 arranged             in about six whorls. Length: About 1.8 cm. Width: About             9 mm. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Rounded to retuse. Base: Broadly             cuneate. Margin: Entire. Aspect: About 70° from vertical;             ray florets concave. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:.             Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close             to 53A. When opening, lower surface: Close to 58A to 58B.             Fully opened, upper surface: Close to 60A to 60B; color             becoming closer to 64A with development. Fully opened, lower             surface: Close to 58A to 58B; color becoming closer to 60C             with development.         -   Disc florets.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 40. Length:             About 1.1 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Shape: Tubular,             elongated; apices, acute. Texture, inner and outer surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous. Color, when opening: Close to 13B; towards             the apex, close to 24A to 24B; towards the base, close to             7C. Color, fully opened: Close to 1C; towards the apex,             close to 31D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 15 arranged in             a single whorl. Length: About 1.1 cm. Width: About 4 mm.             Shape: Oblong. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Broadly cuneate. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 150A to 150B;             towards the base, close to 145A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 4.5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Aspect: Erect to about 30° from vertical. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to N199A to N199B             tinged with close to 152A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium, present on disc florets             only: Quantity per floret: About five. Filament length:             About 4 mm. Filament color: Close to 1C. Anther shape:             Narrowly oblong. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther color:             Close to 13A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to             13A. Gynoecium, present on ray and disc florets: Quantity             per floret: One. Pistil length: About 1 cm. Style length:             About 7 mm. Style color: Close to 154A to 154B. Stigma             shape: Cleft. Stigma color: Close to 13A. Ovary color: Close             to 145B. Seeds/fruits: Seed and fruit development have not             been observed on plants of the new Dahlia. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Dahlia have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Dahlia. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Dahlia have been observed to     have good garden performance and to tolerate wind and rain. Plants     of the new Dahlia have been observed to be tolerant to high     temperatures of 35° C. and hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 8. 

1. A new and distinct Dahlia plant named ‘Bkdapbg’ as illustrated and described. 